Longtime, popular comedian and entertainer Bill Cosby will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Abraham Chavez Theatre in El Paso. At 76, Cosby is still going strong with his concert tour across the nation this year. ( Courtesy photo)

Though many say he's done it all, 76-year-old Bill Cosby, who will be in El Paso on Saturday, emphatically responds, "No way."

With five decades of success, few entertainers have reached the level that Cosby has. His comedy transcends age, gender and cultural barriers. He has captivated generations of fans with his comedy routines, iconic albums and concerts, and celebrated movie and TV roles.

He has won award after award, including Grammys, Emmys, People's Choice and Golden Globes, all the while claiming honors such as the Mark Twain Award, Presidential Medal of Freedom, Hasting Pudding Theatricals Man of the Year Award, Kennedy Center Honor, Lifetime Achievement Award, NAACP Image Award, Television Critics Association Award, Viewers for Quality Television Award ... and the list goes on and on in the United States and across foreign countries.

All simply for making us laugh.

The beloved comedian is bringing his latest concert tour, "Bill Cosby far from finished," to the Abraham Chavez Theatre.

"I'm going out there to talk with people," Cosby said from his home in Massachusetts. "It is about life, where I am, where we are, where me and my wife Camille are, about marriage, about family, about what we are doing day to day. It celebrates life."

He and Camille are about to celebrate their 50th anniversary this month, something Cosby says he still can't believe.

"After all these years, we have shared wonderful moments in life," Cosby said. "She is the shepherd of this family."

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And she has been there, even in the beginning, as Cosby's stellar rise and journey got underway.

But before all that, with humble beginnings, growing up in poverty in the projects in Philadelphia, he says it took the Navy to get him going. But, going he did.

"I was 19 years old and still in high school," Cosby said. "I went to the Navy recruiter, and the first thing he said was, 'You're joining to get out of high school,' and I said, 'No, I'm joining to get out of my block.'

"My first day, at zero four-thirty, one of my leaders shouted in my face, 'I'm not your mother.' That was it. Four years later, I had self-esteem. I was a new person."

After spending time at Temple University, Cosby took his comedic talent on the road in the 1960s. His stand-up act was considered "a coast-to-coast sensation," producing a string of hilarious, best-selling comedy albums, earning eight Gold records, five Platinum records and five Grammy Awards.

Then came several key, life-changing TV appearances. His first role was on "I Spy," becoming the first African-American to co-star in a dramatic series, breaking television's racial barrier and winning three Emmy Awards in the process. The next generation was treated to the fun antics of Cosby's childhood with "Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids" in the 1970s. And yet another generation was won over when he starred in "The Cosby Show" in the 1980s.

"'Fat Albert,' the TV show, when I look back at that, it was true, unique to its time," Cosby said. "My brother, Russell, who was one of the characters in that series, and I remember our childhood all the time, all these years. You know, he's 71, and we still laugh about it."

Cosby's best-selling books, such as "Fatherhood," have captured readers with his personal advice and experiences. Add to the list that he is also a musician with his band, "Cos of Good Music," and he travels the nation as an activist, relaying his message of empowerment and hope to lower-income communities, reminding of civil rights, emphasizing the power of education and sharing his life stories.

"My life has been good," Cosby said. "Every day has been something. You get up in the morning, you sigh and see something worthwhile, and say, 'I get it.' Every day you rely on all you've done in life as your foundation. I get to be creative and an entertainer, that's the fun part.

"And I still have so much to share. I go out, get on a plane and talk to people in different cities about life. I get to share my thoughts with everyone and people listen. What a life."

Margaret Gallardo is entertainment editor for the El Paso Times. She may be reached at 546-6166.